4 undervalued players with huge potential Vancouver Canucks could trade for this summer
The Vancouver Canucks will need to take on some risk this summer if they want to slingshot back up the standings.
The club is in a state of transition after a dreadful season, which saw them take a step backwards. They had to trade J.T. Miller because of a feud with co-star Elias Pettersson and slid down the standings, missing the playoffs after winning the division the year before.
The Canucks don’t have time to be patient with their retool. Quinn Hughes has just two years left on his contract, and if they can’t sell the star on their vision, he’ll likely walk.
The quickest way to rebound next season is to trade for an undervalued player this summer and hope you strike gold. It’s what helped the Washington Capitals soar up the standings this year after they did it with Pierre-Luc Dubois.
Here are four candidates who could fit that bill for the Canucks.
1. Trevor Zegras, Anaheim Ducks
- Age: 24
- Position: C/LW
- Contract: $5.75 million through 2025-26
- 2024-25 stats: 57 GP, 12 G, 20 A, 32 PTS
Trevor Zegras is one of the most controversial players in hockey. He scored 61 points during his first full season in the NHL but hasn’t been able to replicate that success since then. He finished last year with just 32 points in 57 games.
Zegras’ doubters will point to his flashy play style and say that’s not how you win in the NHL, especially when the playoffs roll around. However, there’s no doubt that Zegras is exceptionally skilled and has tons of potential. It’d be a risky trade but one that could pay off for the Canucks.
2. Alexis Lafrenière, New York Rangers
- Age: 23
- Position: LW
- Contract: $7.45 million through 2031-32
- 2024-25 stats: 82 GP, 17 G, 28 A, 45 PTS
Alexis Lafrenière was selected with the first overall pick in 2020, and while he’s shown flashes, he’s yet to live up to that billing. The Canucks have been linked in trade rumours to Lafrenière before, and with the New York Rangers needing big changes after a disappointing season, now could be the time to make the trade.
Lafrenière scored 28 goals and 57 points in 82 games across the 2023-24 season with little power-play time. He’s shown the potential of being a high-end top-six play driver but hasn’t put it all together yet. Could Vancouver be the place where he does so? He would definitely be expensive in terms of acquisition price but has the potential to be a star.
3. Patrik Laine, Montreal Canadiens
- Age: 27
- Position: RW
- Contract: $8.7 million through 2025-26
- 2024-25 stats: 52 GP, 20 G, 13 A, 33 PTS
The Canucks need goal-scorers. There are few better natural snipers than Patrik Laine currently walking on planet earth. In some ways, this could be a perfect fit for the Canucks as they bring in one of the most dangerous shooters in the game.
But Laine has his fair share of question marks. He hasn’t scored 30 goals since the 2018-19 season and hasn’t played more than 60 games since the 2019-20 season.
Laine scored 15 of his 20 goals last year on the power play. He was buried at even strength as the Canadiens struggled to stay afloat with the Finnish sniper on the ice.
In terms of pure ceiling, there may not be a better deal across the league right now, although there are plenty of reasons to believe this bet wouldn’t work.
The good news is that Laine has just one year left on his contract, so there’s little long-term risk if the Canucks acquire him.
4. Steven Stamkos, Nashville Predators
- Age: 35
- Position: C/RW
- Contract: $8 million through 2027-28
- 2024-25 stats: 82 GP, 27 G, 26 A, 53 PTS
The Nashville Predators brought in a group of high-profile free agents last summer, and the entire experiment was a huge failure. Steven Stamkos was one of those free agents, and he didn’t live up to expectations, scoring just 1.35 points per 60 five-on-five minutes, the lowest number of his career.
The Predators are likely to be trying to retool and might be open to giving up veteran players like Stamkos. Despite his below-average season last year, he still scored 27 goals and now has 582 career goals. He would add a scoring punch to the Canucks top-six.
Stamkos is already 35 years old and isn’t going to be part of any long-term plans for the Canucks, but if they’re determined to contend next year to impress Hughes, he’s an option.